Meet the Team: Kelly

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posted on

January 31, 2025

Kelly Barnes interned with Whiffletree in the fall of 2022, then came on as a full time employee. With a million dollar smile, the best organizing abilities in the world, and a heart full of love for people, we’re so blessed to have her as part of our team.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Columbia, MO and moved to Fredericksburg, VA in 2000.

What did you do before you came to farming/Whiffletree?

Prior to farming, I was a carpenter and a caregiver. For several years, I worked on a farm one day a week, growing and harvesting vegetables. I was a Whiffletree customer for seven years before starting my internship here.

What inspired you to become a farmer?

I’ve struggled with chronic health issues for over half my life time. Eating chemical free food for even just a month produced such a dramatic reduction in the severity of my symptoms. This discovery steered my life in a new direction. Learning to produce food that could assist in healing my body rather than making me sicker became my goal. Studying nutrition became my hobby. Working on a farm became my dream.

What are some things you didn’t expect to learn that farming has taught you?

Some things that I didn't expect to learn from farming:

How accurately cartoons depict animal characteristics and tendencies.
How relatable Jesus’s parables are to a farmer.
How deceptive marketing is regarding conventionally farmed food

What do you hope to accomplish through farming?

Someday I hope to utilize my farming experience in mission work, teaching people practical skills to provide for their families and communities. I would love to help victims rescued from human trafficking heal and build new lives.

Most memorable Whiffletree experience?

My most memorable Whiffletree experience is planting a six foot snake skin in a city-boy intern’s car for him to discover later.

What’s your favorite animal on the farm? And why?

My favorite animals are the cattle and the turkeys. The cattle are so peaceful to watch as they graze. Sometimes they skip around you in excitement when you move them to fresh pasture. The turkeys are so full of personality and interactive. They are curious and like to talk back to you. Seeing them strut around and fan their wings when they are only 6 inches tall is the cutest thing I have ever seen.

Favorite hobby? Or favorite things you like to do when not working?

Studying the Bible is one of my favorite ways to spend my time off. I also enjoy gardening, foraging, sewing, making jewelry, reading books and listening to music.

Favorite dish you like to make with a Whiffletree item?

Beef short ribs with a homemade rub are one of my favorite things to make. Slow cooked in a crock pot, they come out perfect every time. They are even delicious cold, for a quick leftovers lunch on the go.

Liz's Delicious Caeser Salad Recipe

A few people have asked for Liz’s Caesar salad dressing recipe, so we thought we’d use her recipe to kick off something new for the blog. The first week of every month, we’ll post one of our favorite recipes, so keep an eye out…you won’t want to miss them! So here’s the recipe for Liz’s famous Caesar salad dressing! Ingredients: ½ fresh lemon, squeezed, or 2 Tbsp. lemon juice4-6 cloves garlic, minced1 Tbsp. stone-ground mustard2 Tbsp. homemade mayonnaise½ c. extra-virgin olive oil 1 c. grated Parmesan (optional)1 small jar anchovy fillets, minced (optional)½ tsp. sea saltFreshly ground black pepper, to taste Directions: Combine all the ingredients into a bowl. For the anchovies, if using, you can either mince them very finely and mix, or use an immersion blender or food processor to combine all the ingredients together. Liz also likes to leave the parmesan on the side so people can add as much or as little as they like. Simple, quick, easy…and most importantly, delicious! *We offer extra-virgin olive oil from Laconiko, which comes directly from their Greek olive farm! If you look into olive oil, you’ll find there’s some fishy business with a very real possibility of corruption and deceit, so we love our olive oil and the fact we know exactly where it comes from and that it’s 100% pure olive oil! Check it out HERE! Jesse’s favorite combo with this dressing is grilled chicken breasts or sirloin strip. We will probably do our favorite steak recipe for one of the future blogs! Stay tuned! Give this recipe a try and let us know how you like it!

Meet the Team: Akili

Akili McCullough has been a star employee of Whiffletree for a few months now. He interned with us spring of 2024 and stayed on as one of our crew. A cool fact about Akili is that he hiked the whole Appalachian Trail! He’s a great guy to have on the farm…observant, a hard worker, never complaining, always ready for a joke, and really believes in doing good work! So read on to find out about Akili! Where did you grow up? Any siblings? I grew up in Warrenton most of my life and am the youngest of 5 siblings. I have 2 brothers and two sisters. I also attended and graduated from Covenant Christian Academy. What did you do before you came to farming/Whiffletree? I worked at a car wash before starting my internship at Whiffletree. What inspired you to become a farmer? The pandemic and the riots of 2020 made me more conscious of how fragile the infrastructure and society are. I wanted to be more prepared. What are some things you didn’t expect to learn that farming has taught you? I learned that I must simultaneously underestimate and overestimate an animal's intelligence. How has a farming internship benefited you? It has given me experience with farming without the up front risk of starting a homestead. What do you hope to accomplish through farming? I plan to learn and be more self-sufficient. How has your role at Whiffletree evolved in your time here? I have evolved more into a teacher from my start as an intern, though I still have more to learn. What’s your favorite animal on the farm? And why? The cows are very simple creatures that really want one thing: grass. The chickens seem to actively try to make your life harder. The pigs are smaller versions of the cows with none of the charm (piglets don't count). Favorite hobby? Or favorite things you like to do when not working? Hiking, when time and weather allows, is my go-to hobby. Favorite food? Sushi, Mac and cheese, and bacon wrapped meatloaf. Favorite dish you like to make with a Whiffletree item? Bacon wrapped meatloaf.

Meet the Team: Carmen

Carmen Ashwell is Whiffletree’s longest employee. For those of you who know her, you know what a fun person she is to be around… always ready with a word of encouragement, a funny personality that magnetizes people, a great and cheerful worker, and a gal of integrity. Read on to get a glimpse of the amazing person Carmen is! Where did you grow up? Any siblings? I grew up in Beautiful Bristow Virginia (beautiful is sarcastic… Bristow is typical bland suburbia). Siblings? Oh, I got some of those…nine to be exact! Before you ask, I am number 4! Two brothers and seven sisters, just as loud as it sounds! What did you do before you came to farming/Whiffletree? Was a very, very busy travel soccer player! Also worked at Chick-fil-a, awesome job by the way, can’t recommend enough! What inspired you to become a farmer? I have always LOVED animals! Steve Irwen was a huge inspiration to little Carmen, RIP Steve. I knew I wanted to work with my hands so farming has been a great fit! What are some things you didn’t expect to learn that farming has taught you? So sorry to be morbid but what I really didn’t expect to learn is how to slaughter chickens and put down sick or injured chickens. I never thought I would be able to do it because I love animals but I learned that reducing suffering shows respect for the animal and that is more important than my comfort. Again, sorry to be morbid, but now I’m a pro! How has farming benefited you? Farming has given me strength and confidence! I have gotten much more physically strong since I have been on the farm, I feel very capable! Farming gives me LOTS of opportunities for problem solving! At first I didn’t trust my judgment and asked for help at every decision point, now I make many decisions independently and with confidence, this is a big boost to my self esteem! What do you hope to accomplish through farming? Animal welfare! I am so proud to work at Whiffletree where our animals are treated with care and respect! I love to help make their lives happy and healthy! How has your role at Whiffletree evolved in your time here? From intern, to brooder manager, to delivery driver, to wholesale manager, Neighborhood Delivery management, primary Farm Store coverage, I have done many, many things! I took up Sunday chores last year and have been enjoying it so much! Great to do what I came here for, care for animals! Most memorable Whiffletree experience? Oh boy where to begin… I can’t pick just one! As an intern, during one of my first few weeks, Jesse took me out to the cattle to receive a hay delivery. We didn’t have a tractor with us but wanted to spread the hay throughout the paddock so Jesse asked the driver to drive around the paddock and we would push the bales off as he drove! We put our backs against one row of bales and stretched our legs out to kick the bales off of the moving trailer! We placed them well and it was soooo satisfying to watch the bales roll off the trailer! So fun! Another favorite was the great turkey escape of 2020! It was the middle of the day…I received a text that turkeys were out and it was all hands on deck! I ran to get my flag, a big red flag I used to shoo hens indoors. Out into the field I went and raised my giant red flag over my head to shoo the turkeys back into their netting, worked like a charm! I feel guilty saying it, but I sort of love chaos on the farm, big storms, birds out, cattle out, water down, etc. Love working as a team to figure out a problem! What’s your favorite animal on the farm? And why? Pigs!!! They are smart, cuddly, messy, and absolutely adorable! Such a carefree and beautiful lifestyle, and I think they love naps as much as I do! Favorite hobby? Or favorite things you like to do when not working? Favorite hobby is caring for my dog, Doctor Beverly Crusher (Know as Crush or Crusher). When I am not working, I am reading, spending time with friends and my fiance, and as of recently, swimming! Favorite food? Peruvian Chicken, yuca, sweet plantains, and chicha morada. That’s really a meal but they all belong together! Favorite dish you like to make with a Whiffletree item? Ropa Vieja with our Chuck Roast. My mothers recipe calls for Flank Steak (which is incredible!) but living alone in my early 20’s had me getting creative to keep things budget friendly! I made it with Chuck Roast for team lunch and it came out delicious! I was so proud and I think if my mom had tasted it she would have been too!

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